Burnt Bread
by CaityLightning
Summary: Katniss is just trying to enjoy a nice Spring day, when she sees smoke coming from her house. Realizing Peeta is having an episode, Katniss tries to not get in the midst of his flames, while ultimately trying to get her Peeta back.


Disclaimer: all rights go to Suzanne Collins.

* * *

Spring was in full bloom.

Grass growing green, trees sprouting their leaves and flowers shooting themselves from the lush earth.

Dandelions, in particular, were flourishing this year.

I looked down at one and smiled, their vibrant yellow bringing life to this world. Their form reminding me of Peeta - innocent, lively, free and absolutely breathtaking.

We, Peeta and I, had planted all sorts of flowers in the front of my house in the Victors Village, which he now also has come to inhabit. All sorts of colours; Blue, Purple, Pink, Red, Yellow, and, of course, Orange. A copious amount of Orange flowers.

We planted Rue flowers, Sagittaria, Buttercups, Daisies, even Clove buds, Tiger Lily, but the most important, the one that Peeta planted when he comeback from the Capitol, Evening Primrose.

I was sitting on the front steps of the house, enjoying the nice breeze. I could see leaves rustling in the wind, birds chirping - when I smelt something burning.

I turned around, now facing the front windows to my house, and saw black smoke coming through the opened pane. Without a second thought, I shot up from the step and raced inside our humble abode, that had now taken the form of a smoke house.

It was dark. Everything was covered in smoke and black as soot. The air chocked me as I walked my way into the Kitchen, where Peeta had been baking some bread and cupcakes.

_God dammit Peeta, I leave you from 10 minutes and this is what I get?_ I thought angrily to myself.

I gasped for air, but oxygen had escaped the house in a fit of horror from the abundance of carbon. I grabbed the kitchen towel that was hanging over the stove railing and covered me mouth.

"Peeta!" I screamed into the cloud of nothingness. I couldn't see him, let alone anything. "Peeta!" I screamed as loud as my larynx could handle.

I reached for a nearby glass that was inside the dish rack, filled it up with water, opened the stove door and dumped the contents into the raging fire.

I knew this wouldn't suffice so I ran to all the windows and doors the first floor had to offer, and opened them all.

I thought to myself as I was running around like a headless chicken, _Peeta doesn't let bread burn . . . let alone anything that he is making . . . so why would he let this one out of his sight . . ?_ My eyes widened at the severity of the situation.

"Peeta!" I screamed again, running up the stairs two at a time. I could not hear anything over the incessant _beep beep_ of the alarm system, curtesy of the Captiol; of course.

I opened the windows in all the bedrooms except the master, which was locked compared to the others. As I got closer, I could hear screaming and crashing, and things being moved and dropped.

Peeta is having an episode.

I crept to the door, opened it so it was slightly ajar, but something made of glass plummeted on the backside of the door. I heard it shatter to the ground and I immediately closed it and heard an angry voice, a voice the belonged to Peeta.

"Katniss, do not come in here!" he screamed and something else hit the door. I flinched and dug my engagement ring into the palm of my hand.

"Peeta, I am going to come inside, all right?" I turned the handle once more, "Is that okay with you?" Of course the answer would be no, but I did it anyways. I do not give up on Peeta. Not only is he the rebirth of hope for me, but he is also the love of my life. No matter how strange it feels to say that, it is true.

I opened the door again and immediately ducked as I saw something flying towards me, it made a _thud_ sound as it hit the floor. I looked back to see what it was - the plant book Peeta and I made together.

This was is going to be bad.

I stood up, and saw that Peeta was standing in the middle of all the havoc he had just created. Fists clenched, snarl bared, breathing hard, eyes clouded from this Capitol hijacking venom.

I tentatively stepped towards him, hands raised in a surrender of peace.

"Peeta . . . remember me? I'm Katniss, your fiancée," I explained to him, as I had many times before. Some episodes he had a complete lapse of memory and forgot everything, and I would have to explain everything in detail for him to remember.

"You are not my fiancée! Who would marry you? You're a mutt! A stinking, filthy mutt!" My heart stung at his words, but I still crept my way towards him. The whole ordeal felt like the incident in the hospital in Thirteen. "The Capitol was right about you! _President_ _Snow_ was right about you! You killed everyone! You're a murderer!" He was practically screaming, his voice enraged.

My jaw clenched, "Not real Peeta, not real. I'm Katniss Everdeen, soon to be Katniss Mellark, remember? You proposed to me in the meadow. You love me, remember? You have since you were fiv-" I saw a sudden movement, a white blur like the t-shirt Peeta was wearing. Next thing I saw was Peeta'a Capitol crazed eyes right above my head, his hands tight around my neck.

His eyes were menacing, his smile murderous. I couldn't breathe, from the smoke making its way up into the bedroom and the suffocation of Peeta strangling me.

"No one would want to marry you, you disgusting mutt!" he squeezed harder, wheezing noises escaped me mouth, "If I did, I'm a damned fool for doing so."

I tried to wince, but the pain was unbearable. From the lack of oxygen, I could see black spots in my vision, and my head felt like it was about to explode. Now this really felt like the Thirteen hospital.

I clawed at Peeta'a hands, the light coming from the window glinted off the pearl of my engagement ring. Within his hijacking episode, Peeta's head turned towards the new coming light. _I'm going to die_, is what I thought.

I focused on Peeta's face, and saw that it was twisted in confusion. He stared at it, the pearl, the one he gave me in the Quarter Quell. The clouded, hooded cover of his eyes faded, and returned was the sky blue that I truly longed to see.

He looked at me, and released me at once. I fell to the floor out of exhaustion, gasping for air, putting my hand to my throat, massaging it. I let out a dry cough and was truly grateful for oxygen in that moment; you never truly appreciate something until it is being taken away for you.

"Oh my god, Katniss!" I heard Peeta say. I jerked my head in his direction, I saw regret and truly deep sadness in his baby blues. I swear I could never stay mad at him. I waved my hand at him, signaling it was quite alright.

"No Katniss! It is not okay! I almost killled you!" He was at my side in a flash, engulfing me in a bear hug, vigorously rubbing my back. His voice cracked at what he said next, "I don't know what I would do if I did kill you. Katniss . . . " He was truly helpless, and I rubbed the back of his head, combing through his golden locks, comforting him.

Once I had regained my breath I said, "Peeta, it _is_ okay. That was not you, it was the nasty Capitol that did that to you. You are fine, trust me." I kissed his temple as he nuzzled his head in the crook of my neck. "You're back, that's all that matters now." I kissed the top of his head, affectionately.

I head him sniffle, "Am I a mutt, real or not real?"

"Absolutly, positively, not real," I said gently, contuniuing to rub his head.

"Am I a baker, real or not real?"

"You are the best baker I know," I wiggled my way out of his grasp, taking hold of his face, "Real." I smiled at him.

His face showed only remorse, "Am I a killer, real or not real?" his head dipped down in shame.

My whole being filled with sympathetic pity, "Not real." I wiped the first tear that slipped from his eye.

"No, real. I almost killed you which qualifies as a killer, even if attempt." He tried to justify, but I was having none of it.

My face hardened in determination, "No, Peeta. You are a good, selfless, honourable," I added softly, "and loving person. Any and everyone loves you, because you are just so Peeta." his face snapped up in turmoil, "You are just so you that everyone just loves you Peeta, including me. Real, I love you, with all my heart, okay?" I rubbed the remainder of the falling tears from his gorgeous face.

"I love you too, but, Katniss, something is seriously wrong with me. This shouldn't be happening so often. I don't know if I could live with myself if anything beyond what happened here, were to happen in the future. I-" he was talking drivel.

"Peeta, Peeta stop," he looked at me, "We will get through this, do you understand me?" He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off, "We _will_ get through this. Please, just, don't let the Capitol take you from me again," at this point, liquid betrayal spilled down my cheeks, travelling under the hook of my jaw. "Please, stay with me." I started to ball and cry. Very unlike myself, but I couldn't think of a life without Peeta in it.

It was his turn to wipe the tears, his calloused thumbs wiping right under my eyes. I closed me eyes and leaned into his touch, just as he said, "Always," and leaned into kiss me.

And, you see, without Peeta, there would be no hope, no rebirth nor life for the future.

He was the hope, the yellow Dandelion. And that's one reason why I love him so dearly.

"What's that smell?" I heard him ask, after he broke the kiss.

In a haze from the kiss, I asked less articulately, "What smell?"

He sniffed the air, "It smells like . . . like something's burning . . . "

Well, I guess that proves that we are two peas in a pod, or, rather, two loaves of burnt bread that are very similar, yet different, but live in harmony in order to survive. I need Peeta to survive, and he needs me.

Wait, did he say _burning_?

Oh damn.


End file.
